My Experiences with Epilepsy

Higher Education Guide: Finding the Perfect College/University

Finding the Perfect College/University

This step will not be easy, but it is very important. You need to investigate what college is right for you. A college may be ranked high in US News, but it may not be a good college/university for you to attend. To help get you started, you should come up with a list of goals that you want to do with this new degree.

Physical Layout of the College – If it is difficult for you to get around, then this will be a big factor for you. Online pictures of the college/university can help give you a good first impression. However, you may want to take a tour of the college to find out how easily you can get to your classes. A tour may also give you a good idea of how easily you can get to the nearest medical facilities.

Talk to the Disability Office – From my experience as a professor, the people working in this office are dedicated to making sure students get a quality education regardless of health condition. However, not everyone’s experience may be as positive. It may be a good idea to talk to them during your campus tour if you can.

Talk to Professors/Advisers – Talk to any potential advisors/professors that you may have. This step should not be skipped under any circumstances. If your health starts to deteriorate due to stress or other factors, you will need a good adviser who will support you. A bad adviser will be unsympathetic of your deteriorating health condition and will only make things worse.

Potential Support Network – A nearby support network may be critical. Some colleges have support groups for a variety of different things. Your support group could be also be a group of friends, or the local support group specifically for your chronic illness (for example: the local Epilepsy Foundation). The stress will get bad and you need to make sure that there is help.

Field of Study – Last but most important, you need to make sure they are an accredited college with a decent program in the field of study that you wish to pursue.

While this is not a comprehensive list, it should help you make an educated decision on whether this college/university will help you meet your goals.